This Is Not The Time
by The Disposable Villain
Summary: It's the middle of a war, and Marik and Ryou are in the trench. Not the time to be asking questions, according to Marik. But Ryou doesn't agree. Deathshipping.


_DD: So I was at a writing course earlier today and one of the prompts was 'When you think of a year, how do you picture it'. Everyone was doing very reflective pieces, but me being me, I wrote a Deathshipping fanfiction that's set in the middle of an unidentified war. I decided to draw it out a bit and here is the result! Hope you enjoy and I own nothing._

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"When you think of a year, how do you picture it?" Ryou's voice was soft.

Marik looked at his comrade with disbelief. "Creampuff, this is _really_ not the time!" He looked out of the trench and fired a few shots before ducking down again. A round of bullets flew over their heads.

Ryou ignored Marik's statement and the bullets. "I used to think of it as good memories. Like those times that you, Malik, Bakura and I would go for ice cream after school, or go to a film." He looked down. "Now all I can think of is a dozen or more bodies every day. The fact that Malik and Bakura could be dead and we don't know. Unnecessary blood spilled."

Marik paused and looked at Ryou. The white-haired boy never was one for fighting.

He could fight; Marik knew this from experience from the days that he trained with Ryou. But he respected the value of life too much to be able to kill someone, even if they were the enemy.

Marik never had much of a problem with this. Sure, the first time he had killed someone he had been a bit shaken. Then he had gotten over it.

But Ryou couldn't get over it. He just couldn't turn his empathy off.

Marik saw a slow tear trickle down Ryou's cheek. "I just want this to end... I don't want to fight..."

Marik sighed. Damn it, where was Malik when you needed him? His younger brother was always better at this touchy-feely crap than Marik was. He hesitated before putting a hand on Ryou's shoulder. "It'll end eventually, Ryou." Ryou looked up at him, unshed tears brimming in his eyes. Marik smiled. "Then you can picture the years as ice cream and butterflies and whatever other sappy crap you want to see them as." He looked out of the trench and fired a few more times before ducking down. "But right now, we need to concentrate on not dying, okay creampuff?"

Ryou forced a smile and nodded, gripping his gun although making no move to fire. Marik felt his gaze on him as he fired another few shots. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryou wince as a yell of pain reached their ears.

"No," he mumbled. "It can't be that way... Not anymore..."

"You say something creampuff?" Marik looked over at him.

Ryou hesitated before shaking his head with another forced smile. Marik held his gaze for a moment before nodding and looking up again. "They're retreating. Come on, let's get back to the base."

They jumped out of the trench and began running back to the base. When they reached it, Bakura and Malik were waiting for them. Marik watched as relief pooled in Ryou's eyes and the latter ran to hug his older brother, who was injured but alive.

"I'll never get why he joined the army in the first place," he mumbled to Malik.

A fond smile was on Malik's face. "He would have hated waiting for us back in Domino, not sure if we were safe, dying or dead. He'd rather be here and know that he might be able to help, even if he hates fighting. And besides, it's not like he could let his brother leave without him." Then Malik's smile became teasing. "Or you."

Marik blinked in confusion and looked at Ryou, and then Malik. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Malik just chuckled, shaking his head. "Figure it out," he called as he walked back to the tent he shared with Bakura and a few others.

Marik sighed, shaking his head. "I'll never understand him." He looked back at Ryou, grinning when he saw the white-haired boy fussing over a wound that Bakura had gotten when a bullet skimmed his arm.

Ryou looked up and met his gaze. A soft blush adorned his cheeks and he looked down again, mumbling something to Bakura.

Marik blinked in surprise, feeling a blush on his cheeks as well, though his tanned skin hid it. _Or maybe I will..._

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 _DD: I'm not entirely sure if this should just be a one-shot. If you want a full story of this, let me know and I'll do my best. Also, I'll be gone for about three weeks starting Sunday. I'll be able to respond to roleplays, but I mightn't be able to upload stories because I'm not allowed to bring my computer. But don't worry, I'll update The Boy in the Attic and possibly Princes Don't Kiss Thieves before I go. See you next time, Killer Queens!_


End file.
